by Imogene Nix
His eyes shined in the half-light as he stood on the other side of the room, as if trying to let her reach the conclusions she needed to without any suggestions from him. Watchful and waiting, he jammed his hands in the pockets of his flight suit, his eyes hooded.
“Not really. Initially, I was too focused on my anger, then trying to come up with a plan for my future.” She shrugged. “I knew you were there, but you always seemed to be doing something, so I guess I never put two and two together.” She felt defeated for a moment. “Remember, I thought I had been left there. Pretty much abandoned. Again.”
Her shoulders slumped, and her voice was thready with exhaustion and remembered loss. She dragged a hand through her hair, letting him see the inner turmoil as she thought carefully through what she said next.
“I’d been in that position my whole life, but this time I was out of my depth. I didn’t just not know anyone, I also didn’t know anything. Everything was so...alien. I was lost.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
He swallowed. “I would never let that happen, Jem. You know that, don’t you? There wasn’t anything I could do to show you, but I was there. If you’d been in any danger, any at all, I would have acted. I had people watching out for you the whole time.”
His eyes blazed hot, and she accepted what he said. She could feel the honesty in his voice winding a path through to her heart. God help her, she did believe him, and that terrified her as much as it reassured her. Unconsciously, she took a step forward.
“Yes, I believe you. I just wish I’d known earlier.” Her voice was quiet. She took another step, all the while watching those beautiful blazing-blue eyes of his. “I do love you too, and do you know something? I don’t feel alone anymore. Here, with you? I feel safe. Safer and more cared for than ever before.” She took a step, then another, and somehow he met her and enfolded her in his strong arms.
“God knows I needed to hear that, Jem, but be sure, I still want forever with you. I know you aren’t ready to give me that, but some day you will. When that day comes, I’ll be the happiest man alive. But for now, just being with you is enough.” His voice was rough, and his eyes glittered. She had the uncanny feeling he was looking into her soul, and she shivered.
“Why me though? I mean, it’s not like I’m anything special. I come with so many problems. How can you possibly want forever with me?” Her voice dropped to a broken whisper.
“Because inside, you’re so beautiful, in every way that counts.” He pointed to the region of her heart. “You would give up everything, even yourself, for someone you care about. You would give your life for your friends. I’ve seen you in action, and that amazes me. It draws me to you in a way I’ve never before experienced.” With that, he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the mouth. His hand skittered up until it rested on her shoulders, grounding her as nothing else could.
She took a deep breath. “I want forever with you too.” The six words she whispered fell from her lips, and he smiled. “But tonight isn’t the time to talk about that. Tonight I just want to be with you, to feel your body against mine and to know you need to be with me.” Her hands twined once more behind his head, pulling it closer, and her eyes slid shut.
“Then I’ll be satisfied with that for now, and when you’re ready, we can talk about what comes next.” His voice was muffled, and she could feel the movement of his lips against her hair. The warm whisper of his breath on her skin sent shivers of anticipation through her.
“I don’t want to talk now. I want to show you what I feel.” Her lips met his, and the shock that jolted her system was electric. She opened her mouth to his.
He grabbed her waist and crushed her to him. The muscles of his chest moved, hard against her frame, as her fingers tangled in his hair. She pulled him closer toward her as the kiss deepened.
Then his hands were on her fasteners, ripping and tearing at her uniform. The air in the room heated as their passion grew, overwhelming them both. Breathing grew ragged. Hearts beat faster than before.
His mouth tore away from her lips and skittered down to the pulse at her throat, which beat hard. She thrust her head back wildly while her hands found his suit and tore at it. Buttons flew to the ground.
Breathing raggedly, she whispered, “Raven, I need you to fill me. God, I love you so much.”
Hands grabbed her around the waist with her ship suit caught in bands of warm iron. He carried her to the bed and carefully placed her down. The dim lights in the cabin reflected the glitter of passion shining in his deep-blue gaze.
She stood quickly and stripped down to her bra and panties, which offered little protection from his heated gaze. Then that divine mouth of his, tightening with passion and need, descended once more. His long fingers trailed over the straps of her bra, toying with it as she reached for the clasp at the back.
He stayed her hands. “No, tonight I can do that.”
She could hear the grin in his words, and she stilled. His fingers continued to trace up and down slowly until an ache grew. His fingers brushed the cups lightly, tripping over taut nipples, which jutted out against the fabric, then back up. Her breathing grew more ragged.
He first played with one side, then the other, up and down. He toyed with her breasts as they grew heavier. Unconsciously, she moved in time with his fingers, pushing into his touch. Up. Stroke. Down. Stroke.
She was panting with need when he finished his down stroke, but this time instead of starting back up, his fingers stroked around her nipples then continued down under the weighted flesh and around the band to the back. He leaned forward to unclasp her and lightly licked her lips with the tip of his tongue. She gasped against his mouth, so tightly wound with passion.
Panties wet with need, she hooked her fingers under the elastic, but his hands were there too, pulling her fingers away. “My turn again.” His voice was gravelly and his eyes bright. The flat of his hands pushed down her flanks, hooking thumbs under the elastic and pulling them away to leave her stripped bare to his gaze. The heat and passion in his eyes burned her. Her panties slipped to the floor, and she stepped out of them. He reached for the remnants of his clothing and tore them off.
By the time they were both naked, they were once more fused at mouth, chest, and hips, hands moving over the other’s already passion-slicked skin.
The touch of his lips this time was electric, and the thrill of his caress was like nothing she had ever felt before. It shocked her to the core like lightning pulsing through the sky, pulling the breath from her body. Her body was boneless, yet energized. Moaning low in her throat, the feeling of his arms tightening around her, pulling her closer, she stood within the cradle of his body, ratcheting her need to a higher point. Hard muscles met soft, feminine curves as she moved her damp body against his.
The air in the cabin grew close. He pushed her up against the wall, and the feel of the coolness on her skin made her shiver. His body crowded against hers.
“Tonight I’m going to love you like no one else ever has or ever will.” His voice echoed through her system.
His fingers touched and caressed every inch of her skin as they moved lower, each move scorching her. A trail of fire licked at her skin as she tossed her head from side to side, his lips at her throat, sliding downward, ever downward, his tongue flicking and darting until he reached one peaked nipple. He licked it, teasing it with his hot tongue, then when she was ready to cry out, her hands clutching his hair, he opened his mouth and sucked.
Firm. Hard.
She bucked. His hands found her most intimate skin and touched the downy hairs that grew there. He traced the lips of her sex lightly, and her hips moved once more, the torture ripping heaving gasps from her body. Her heart beat a wild tattoo as she moaned.
He released one breast. “Perfect. Oh, so perfect,” he muttered against the skin of her belly as he slid further down her length.
His lips found her stomach, and his tongue toyed lightly with the indentation. She pushed i
nto him.
“I’m going to feast upon your delectable body.”
Her eyes flashed open, blind with passion, as his tongue found her. “Oh God!” she whimpered.
His fingers opened her to the invasion of his mouth, and she felt the tightness in her belly as she shook. A screaming orgasm roared through her, and she clenched. He sucked harder, and her body tensed then slowly subsided. Her legs wobbled, and she was caught up in his arms.
“But Raven, you didn’t...” Her words died away as she felt his erection hard against her.
“Not yet, but we aren’t finished.” His voice was hoarse, and she could see the sweat shining on his skin and feel the tremors of his body as he carried her to the bed, laying her down.
His lips found hers as they lowered to the bed, his hands once more on her breasts. She reached for him, rubbing lightly on his shaft. He moved against her hand.
“Wait.” He groaned the word, held himself taut for one moment. Then another.
He opened his eyes, and in them, she saw not just lust, but also love. She reached out, once more pushing him back toward the covers.
“My turn.” Gripping his hands, she pushed them up and out so that he was completely at her mercy. She nipped the side of his neck then blew lightly, touching the spot with her tongue, and he moved. “Not yet,” she said.
He moved below her, his body betraying his aroused state, but he held himself in the position she’d requested. She nibbled her way down his chest, pale and hairless, just as she liked them. His muscles flexed beneath her touch and below her hand, the rapid beat of his heart, the dampness of his skin, and his panting breaths pushed her onward.
Reaching his flat nipples, she stopped, toyed for a brief moment, then quickly licked as she moved down his body. His nipples tightened in response to her ministrations. His trembling grew beneath her hands, and his groans escaped tight lips. She smiled wickedly at him.
“Stop bedeviling me, woman.” His voice was hoarse.
“I’m not finished yet, Raven. I still have to get to the best part.” She widened her smile as he reached for her. “No, it’s still my turn.” With that, she lowered her head. She found the indentation of flesh and dipped her tongue in and out in a parody of the act of passion. “I’m going to drive you so mad,” she whispered against his stomach, continuing to trail down his body once more.
Her mouth had opened over his erection when he jackknifed up. “I can’t...Eshra help me...I need to be in you.” His hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her over and down onto her back, his mouth zeroing onto hers, and his tongue speared into her mouth as his cock drove home.
Her legs wrapped around him as she undulated beneath him. Their movements grew wilder, faster. Hands slipped and firmed against flesh; cries of passion filled the air as their bodies slapped against each other. Her head was thrown back as she cried out, her body quivering as she orgasmed in his arms, feeling him thrust once more, firmly pushing himself home within her body.
“Jemma!” His hoarse shout echoed through the cabin, and he then held himself against her. Their hearts beat in time as they heaved, locked tightly around each other. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear.
As he shifted both of them slowly, their bodies cooled. He tucked her into his arms as they both drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Morning came all too early, she mused, stretching as she woke, then turned to pat the bed. His spot was cool, indicating that he’d been up and around for some time. She scanned the room. There was no sign of him.
Rising slowly, she made her way to the small bathroom, wincing as the bright light assaulted her eyes. “Lights dim thirty-five percent,” she said, climbing into the shower. “Water on high, medium spray.” She waited for the blessed touch of water on her sleep-fogged body. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind.
Finally, feeling free of the last of the fogginess, she opened her eyes to see Raven standing outside the shower, slumped against its side with a slight smile on his face.
“Water off,” she said, taking the step out of the shower and toward him.
He lifted one hand, holding a towel. A fierce emotion rose in her gut, and she shook her head to dismiss the feeling of dizziness that rose in her.
“Come on, let’s get you dried and a coffee into you before we head to the mess. We have about fifteen minutes.” He pulled away from the wall with a slight smile on his face and turned toward the door. “Don’t be too long,” he called over his shoulder, and she watched him saunter away.
She hurried through drying off and made her way into the cabin, dressing as speedily as she could as the smell of coffee wafted through the open door. Her stomach rumbled, and she grinned. “I hope you have that coffee ready for me?” Jemma called through the door, dragging a hand through her hair.
“You need to come and get it. I’m not bringing it in to you.” His voice was light, but there was a grave undertone in it.
She stopped short as she entered the room. He stood in the center of the office holding a parcel, a particularly somber look on his face.
“Jem, I know you can protect yourself, but... Barsha! I’m making a hash of this.” The uncertainty on his face caught her. “Look, I know you know how to take care of yourself, but training is nothing like the real thing.” He looked at her, eyes piercing, and she saw his worry. Her heart dropped to her stomach.
For a moment, she felt a burn in her stomach. He doesn’t want me to go? “I’m going. It’s my job.”
“No, it’s not that you shouldn’t go.”
A wave of dizziness swept through her once more.
“You need to be there, probably more than me.” He stopped and dragged in a ragged breath. “I need you to be careful, because you mean so much to me. I had this made for you.”
She reached out as he awkwardly shoved the package into her hands. His hands shook, and her eyes flew back to his. Carefully, she shook out the parcel to find a protective combat jacket within.
“I can’t make you stay behind, but I can find a way to protect you. Please wear it for me.” His words touched her deep inside, and a crack opened in the wall around her heart.
Jemma reached up to Raven. “What about you? What will you wear?” Her words were soft. She extended her fingers to his face and touched his lips. “What about your safety? Without you, my world is gone.” She leaned toward him and kissed him on the lips. “Forever is something we are going to discuss when we get back here, right?” Her eyes burned, and she hoped he could see what she felt in them.
His arms swept around her. “I love you so much, but I need you to come out of this alive. Okay? No heroics, no saving me at the cost of your own life. Do you understand me? Promise me, Jem.” His voice was taut with emotion, his lips against her ear, and she felt the shake of emotion in his body.
“I promise, so long as you do too. I haven’t committed just to lose you now.” She was fierce, turning in his arms. “I will wear your jacket, so long as you have one too.” She pulled away, knowing that they had just minutes before they were due in the mess with the others going on the mission.
His crooked smile made her heart beat faster. “Yes, I have one, and yes, I’ll be wearing it.”
She released a pent-up breath. “Good. Now, where’s my coffee?”
She broke the tension, stepping back from his embrace. Her chest was still tight from the emotions that churned inside, threatening to overwhelm if she let them. A bubble of love and commitment that she’d never felt before filled her, and she embraced it fully.
He handed her the coffee, their hands meeting and the spark of awareness flickering through her. Their eyes met. Silently, they finished their drinks, then put down their cups on his desk.
“Leave them there,” he said gently, the warmth in his voice washing over her. “We can clear them up when we get back from the mission.”
They locked their hands together and left the cabin.
Chapter 14
Jemma clamb
ered into the pilot’s seat, running through the pre-flight checklist, her face impassive and tight with concentration. Raven watched her work, mulling over the events of the morning, especially those in the office when he had surprised her with the jacket.
He’d nearly broken his silence, his worries over her safety overwhelming him for a moment, but his greatest hopes crystallized the minute she had said they would talk when they got back from the mission. Now all they had to do was get in, do the job, and get out. His role was simple—go in, disable the systems for Chowd, then get the shuttle back to the Elector, or if not that, then at least have Jemma get him back.
The suit might protect her body from most gunfire, but it had taken him only seconds to realize it wouldn’t protect her if they transmitted her somewhere else. For insurance, he’d had a tracking tag inserted into her suit. His crew had worked around the clock to ensure the suit was completed in time for the mission.
He shook himself. Time was short, and he needed to run a final check of the systems he and Chowd had created to keep the Ru’Edan systems jammed, hiding their entry into the area. He ran through each point, checked and double-checked, and finally satisfied, he turned to see Jemma watching him.
Her face glowed with excitement. “You know, if it wasn’t so dangerous, this could almost be fun.”
He knew she expected him to rise to the bait. He felt the smile climb over his face and laughed at her comment. This woman brought out the best in him, he mused, watching her climb out of her seat and move toward him.
“Sure, and you just live for the adventure, don’t you?” He winked at her, and her beautifully-shaped eyebrow arched up. She reached him and laid her hand softly upon his shoulder. He covered it with his, giving her a squeeze.
